Heat dissipating device and fixing bracket thereof

ABSTRACT

A heat dissipating device includes a heat sink, a fan, and a fixing bracket. The fixing bracket includes a first fixing element and a second fixing element mounted to the first fixing element. An airflow opening is defined in each of the first and second fixing elements. A receiving space communicating with the airflow openings is bounded by the first and second fixing elements, to receive the heat sink. The first and second fixing elements are used to selectively mount the fan.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to heat dissipating devices, andparticularly to a heat dissipating device having a fixing bracket.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally speaking, a heat dissipation device includes a heat sink and afan to cool heat-generating components such as central processing units(CPUs). A fan is generally fixed on the heat sink via a fixing bracket.However, the fixing bracket can only accommodate the fan at a singleposition, which does not allow fixing the fan at other positions ifneeded to improve heat dissipation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of aheat dissipating device, the heat dissipating device including a fixingbracket.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a circled portion II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a circled portion III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an assembled, isometric view of the fixing bracket of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an assembled, isometric view of the heat dissipating device ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an exemplary embodiment of a heat dissipatingdevice 1 for an electronic element, such as a central processing unit(CPU), includes a heat sink 2 to be mounted on the CPU to absorb heatfrom the CPU, a fan 3, and a fixing bracket 4 to fix the fan 3 to theheat sink 2.

The fixing bracket 4 includes a first fixing element 10 and two secondfixing elements 20 engaged with opposite sides of the first fixingelement 10.

The first fixing element 10 includes a first base 12 and two panels 14perpendicularly mounted on the first base 12 near two ends of the firstbase 12. A first accommodating space 16 is bounded by the first base 12and the panels 14, for receiving the fan 3. Two bars 121 perpendicularlyextend down from opposite sides of a bottom of the first base 12. AT-shaped sliding slot 1211 is horizontally defined in each bar 121. Anairflow opening 122 is defined in a center of the first base 12,corresponding to the heat sink 2. A locking portion 142 projects inwardfrom an upper portion of each panel 14. Two first ribs are mountedbetween each panel 14 and the first base 12, to reinforce thecorresponding panel 14.

Each second fixing element 20 includes a second base 22 and threeresilient latching elements 21. The second base 22 includes a firstsurface 222, a second surface 224 opposite to the first surface 222, andtwo lateral surfaces 226 connected between corresponding sides of thefirst and second surfaces 222, 224. An airflow opening 223 is defined ina center of the second base 22, extending through the first and secondsurfaces 222, 224. Two opposite horizontal sliding paths 227 are definedin upper portions of the first and second surfaces 222, 224,respectively; therefore, a T-shaped sliding portion 228 corresponding tothe sliding slot 1211 of the first base 12 is formed on the second base22, between the sliding paths 227. Three pairs of locking holes 225 aredefined in the second base 22. Two of the three pairs of locking holes225 are located at opposite sides of the airflow opening 223, theremaining pair is located below the airflow opening 223. A lockingportion 2242 perpendicularly extends from a bottom of the second surface224 of the second base 22.

Each latching element 21 is L-shaped, and includes a fixing portion 211and a locating portion 212 perpendicularly extending from a first end ofthe fixing portion 211. A second rib 2112 is positioned between thefixing portion 211 and the locating portion 212 to reinforce thelocating portion 211. A latching block 2114 perpendicularly extends froma second end opposite to the first end of the fixing portion 211, awayfrom the locating portion 212. A pair of through holes 2121corresponding to a corresponding pair of locking holes 225 of the secondbase is defined in the locating portion 212, located at opposite sidesof the second rib 2112.

Referring to FIG. 4, in assembling the fixing bracket 4, each latchingelement 21 is mounted to the second base 22, via a pair of screws 50extending through the pair of through holes 2121 of the latching element21 to be engaged in the corresponding pair of locking holes 225 of thesecond base 22. Therefore, the latching elements 21 are fixed to thefirst surface 222 of the second base 22, with two latching elements 21located at opposite sides of the airflow opening 223, and a latchingelement 21 located below the airflow opening 223. A second accommodatingspace 26 is bounded by the latching elements 21 and the second base 22,for receiving the fan 3. The second bases 22 are engaged in thecorresponding sliding slots 1211 of the first base 12, via the slidingportions 228 of the second bases 22 sliding into the sliding slots 1211of the first base 12. Therefore, the second fixing elements 20 aremounted to the first fixing element 10. A receiving space 40 is boundedby the first base 12 of the first fixing element 10 and the two secondbases 22 of the two fixing elements 20. The locking portions 2242 of thetwo fixing elements 20 are oppositely set to fix the heat sink 2.

Referring to FIG. 5, in assembling the heat sink 2, the second bases 22are deformed away from each other, the heat sink 2 is placed in thereceiving space 40 of the fixing bracket 4. The second bases 22 arereleased to restore towards each other, to sandwich the heat sink 2therebetween. The locking portion 2242 of the two second bases 22respectively resiliently resist against two sides of a bottom of theheat sink 2. Therefore, the heat sink 2 can be fixed to the fixingbracket 4 conveniently.

The fan 3 can be fixed to the first fixing element 10 or each of thesecond fixing elements 20. Fixing modes of the first fixing element 10and each of the second fixing elements 20 are the same. The fan 3 fixedto a second fixing element 20 is described as an example. The latchingelements 21 at opposite sides of the airflow opening 223 are deformedaway from each other, the fan 3 is placed in the second accommodatingspace 26, and supported on the latching element 21 below the airflowopening 223. The latching elements 21 are released to restore towardseach other. The latching blocks 2114 of the latching elements 21respectively resiliently resist against edges of a surface of the fan 3opposite to the airflow opening 223. Therefore, the fan 3 is fixed tothe second fixing element 20.

In use, heat absorbed by the heat sink 2 can be removed by the fan 40through the airflow openings 223 of the second bases 22. In otherembodiments, the fan 3 can bring air flow to the heat sink 10 throughthe airflow openings 223 of the second bases 22 of the second fixingelement 20.

In disassembling the fan 3 from the fixing bracket 4, the latchingelements 21 of the fixing bracket 4 are deformed away from each other,with the latching blocks 2114 of the latching elements 21 respectivelydeparting from the side surfaces of the fan 3. Therefore, the fan 3 canbe conveniently removed from the second accommodating space 26 of thefixing bracket 4.

In disassembling the heat sink 2 from the fixing bracket 4, the twosecond bases 22 of the fixing bracket 4 are deformed away from eachother, with the locking portions 2242 of the two second bases 22respectively disengaging from the bottom of the heat sink 2. Therefore,the heat sink 2 can be conveniently removed from the receiving space 40of the fixing bracket 4.

In one embodiment, the second fixing elements 20 can be moved relativeto the first fixing element 10. Therefore, the fan 3 can be fixed toother positions of the fixing bracket 4.

In other embodiments, the sliding slot 1211 of the first fixing element10 can be omitted, therefore, the two second fixing elements 20 arefixedly mounted to the opposite sides of the first base 12. The latchingelements 21 can be other shapes, where the fixing mode for fixing thelatching elements 21 to the second bases 22 can be changed according toshapes of the latching elements 21. The latching elements 21 can beshaped to fix on the second bases 22 to fix the fan 3 on the secondbases 22. The number of the latching elements 21 can be changed. Thelatching elements 21 can also be omitted, and the fan 3 fixed to thesecond bases 22 or the first base 12 indirectly via fasteners.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth inthe foregoing description, together with details of the structure andfunction of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, andchanges may be made in details, especially in matters of shape, size,and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to thefull extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in whichthe appended claims are expressed.

1. A heat dissipating device comprising: a heat sink; a fan; and afixing bracket comprising: a first fixing element defining a firstairflow opening corresponding to the fan; and at least one second fixingelement mounted to the first fixing element, and defining a secondairflow opening corresponding to the fan; wherein the at least onesecond fixing element and the first fixing element bound a receivingspace to receive the heat sink, wherein the receiving space communicateswith the first airflow opening and the second airflow opening of each ofthe at least one second fixing element, wherein the fan is selectivelymounted to one of the first fixing element and the at least one secondfixing element.
 2. The heat dissipating device of claim 1, wherein thefirst fixing element comprises a first base and two side panels mountedon the first base, a first accommodating space is bounded by the firstbase and the panels for receiving the fan, wherein a locking portionprojects inward from an upper portion of each panel to lock the fan, thefirst airflow opening is defined in the first base, each second fixingelement is mounted on one side of the first base.
 3. The heatdissipating device of claim 2, wherein at least one bar extend downwardsfrom a bottom of the first base, a sliding slot is defined in each bar,to engage with a corresponding second fixing element.
 4. The heatdissipating device of claim 3, wherein each of the at least one secondfixing element comprises a second base, the second airflow opening isdefined in the second base, two opposite sliding paths are defined inopposite surfaces of an upper portion of the second base, to form asliding portion between the sliding paths, to engage in thecorresponding sliding slot of the first base.
 5. The heat dissipatingdevice of claim 4, wherein a locking portion perpendicularly extendsfrom a bottom of the second base to lock the heat sink, each secondfixing element further comprises at least one latching element, eachlatching element comprises a fixing portion to fix the fan, and alocating portion perpendicularly extends from a first end of the fixingportion to locate the fan on the second base, wherein a latching blockperpendicularly extends from a second end opposite to the first end ofthe fixing portion, away from the locating portion.
 6. A fixing bracketto fix a fan on a heat sink, the fixing bracket comprising: a firstfixing element defining a first airflow opening corresponding to thefan; and at least one second fixing element mounted to the first fixingelement and defining a second airflow opening corresponding to the fan,wherein a receiving space is bounded by the first fixing element and theat least one second fixing element, communicating with the first andsecond airflow openings, to receive the heat sink; wherein one of thefirst fixing element and the at least one second fixing element isoperable to mount the fan.
 7. The fixing bracket of claim 6, wherein thefirst fixing element comprises a first base and two panels mounted onopposite ends of the first base, a first accommodating space is boundedby the first base and the panels for receiving the fan, a lockingportion projects from an upper portion of each panel towards the otherpanel to lock the fan, the first airflow opening is defined in the firstbase.
 8. The fixing bracket of claim 7, wherein at least one bar extendsdownwards from the first base, a sliding slot is defined in each bar toslidably engage with the corresponding second fixing element.
 9. Thefixing bracket of claim 8, wherein each of the at least one secondfixing element comprises a second base, the second airflow opening isdefined in the second base, wherein a sliding portion is formed on a topof the second base, to slidably engage in the corresponding sliding slotof the first base.
 10. The fixing bracket of claim 9, wherein a lockingportion perpendicularly extends from a bottom of the second base to lockthe heat sink, each second fixing element further comprises at least onelatching element, each latching element comprises a fixing portion tofix the fan, and a locating portion perpendicularly extends from a firstend of the fixing portion to locate the fan on the second base, alatching block perpendicularly extends from a second end opposite to thefirst end of the fixing portion, away from the locating portion.